Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Jeremiah 27:16

Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the LORD’s house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon: for they prophesy a lie unto you.

16. the priests ] who took the side of the false prophets against Jeremiah. See Jer 26:8 ff.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

16 22. The same message is addressed to the priests and the people concerning the false prophets. More than half the contents of this part of the ch. are lacking in LXX, the main difference between them and MT. being that the latter includes the promise of the restoration of the sacred vessels to Jerusalem. Co. grants the LXX a relative originality, considering that the process of amplification is shewn in their Version in an earlier stage than that which is presented by the Hebrew.

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Verse 16. The vessels of the Lord’s house] Which had been carried away by Nebuchadnezzar under the reigns of Jehoiakim and Jeconiah, 2Ch 36:7-10.

Shall now shortly be brought again] This is a lie. They shall not be restored till I bring them up, Jer 27:22, which was after the captivity, when they were sent back by Cyrus, the Lord inclining his heart to do it, Ezr 1:7; Ezr 7:19.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

The prophet, like Gods faithful servant, spared none, but faithfully gave warning to all sorts, to take heed of the false prophets that undertook to foretell that the vessels of the temple carried away in the time of Jehoiakim, and his son Jehoiachin or Jeconiah, of which we read 2Ch 36:7,10, should be brought back again to Jerusalem in a short time.

Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole

16. The “vessels” hadbeen carried away to Babylon in the reign of Jeconiah (2Ki24:13); also previously in that of Jehoiakim (2Ch36:5-7).

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Also I spake to the priests, and to all this people, saying,…. From the court he went to the temple, and spoke to the priests that were ministering there, and to all the people that were assembled for divine worship; either at the ordinary time of it, or at some one of the solemn feasts: this was a proper time and place to meet with the people and the priests; which latter especially had a concern in what he had to say concerning the vessels of the temple:

thus saith the Lord, hearken not to the words of your prophets that prophesy unto you: your false prophets, as the Targum:

saying; as follows:

behold, the vessels of the Lord’s house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon; which were carried thither, both in the times of Jehoiakim, and of Jeconiah, 2Ch 36:7; these the false prophets gave out would in a short time be returned; that the king of Babylon, either willingly and of his own accord, or being pressed or forced to it, would send them back; so little reason had they to fear an invasion from him, or captivity by him:

for they prophesy a lie unto you; that which is false, and will never be accomplished, at least in any short time.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

The priests and all the people are warned to give no belief to the false prophesyings of a speedy restoration of the vessels carried off to Babylon. – Jer 27:16. “Thus hath Jahveh said: Hearken not to the sayings of your prophets that prophesy unto you: Behold, the vessels of Jahveh’s house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon; for they prophesy a lie unto you. Jer 27:17. Hearken not unto them; serve the king of Babylon and live; wherefore should this city become a desert? Jer 27:18. But if they be prophets, and if the word of Jahveh be with them, let them now make intercession to Jahveh of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of Jahveh, and in the king’s house, and in Jerusalem, go not to Babylon. Jer 27:19. For thus saith Jahveh of hosts concerning the pillars and the [brazen] sea and the frames, and concerning the other vessels that are left in this city, Jer 27:20. Which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not away when he carried away captive Jechoniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah from Jerusalem to Babylon, with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. Jer 27:21. For thus saith Jahveh of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that are left in the house of Jahveh, and in the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem: Jer 27:22. To Babylon shall they be brought, and there shall they remain until the day that I visit them, saith Jahveh, and carry them up, and bring them back to this place.”

Here Jeremiah gives King Zedekiah warning that the prophecies of a speedy end to Chaldean bondage are lies, and that confidence in such lies will hurry on the ruin of the state. He at the same time disabuses the priests of the hope raised by the false prophets, that the vessels of the temple and of the palace that had been carried off at the time Jechoniah was taken to Babylon will very soon be restored; and assures them that such statements can only procure the destruction of the city, since their tendency is to seduce king and people to rebellion, and rebellion against the king of Babylon means the destruction of Jerusalem – a prophecy that was but too soon fulfilled. The vessels of the temple, Jer 27:16, are the golden vessels Solomon caused to be made (1Ki 7:48.), which Nebuchadnezzar had carried to Babylon, 2Ki 24:13. , from towards Babylon, i.e., from Babylon, whither they had been taken; cf. Ew. 216, b. “Now shortly,” lit., hastily or speedily, i.e., ere long, cf. Jer 28:3, where the prophet Hananiah foretells the restoration of them within two years, in opposition to Jeremiah’s affirmation that the exile will last seventy years.

(Note: These words are not given in lxx, and so Mov. and Hitz. pronounce them spurious. Haev., on the other hand, and with greater justice, says ( Introd. ii. 2), that the lxx omitted the words, because, according to an Alexandrian legend, the temple furniture was really very soon restored, even in Zedekiah’s time, cf. Baruch 1:8ff.; so that the false prophets were in the right. The passage cited from Baruch does not indeed give a very rigorous proof of this. It alleges that the silver vessels which Zedekiah had caused to be made after Jechoniah’s exile had been brought back by Baruch. But considering the innumerable arbitrary interferences of the lxx with the text of Jeremiah, the omission of the words in question cannot justify the slightest critical suspicion of their genuineness.)

To show more clearly the irreconcilableness of his own position with that of the false prophets, Jeremiah further tells what true prophets, who have the word of Jahveh, would do. They would betake themselves in intercession to the Lord, seeking to avert yet further calamity or punishment, as all the prophets sent by God, including Jeremiah himself, did, cf. Jer 7:16. They should endeavour by intercession to prevent the vessels that are still left in Jerusalem from being taken away. The extraordinary expression has probably come from the omission of Jod from the verb, which should be read . As it stands, it can only be imperative, which is certainly not suitable. is usually construed with the infinitive, but occasionally also with the temp. fin.; with the imperf., which is what the sense here demands, in Exo 20:20; with the perf., Jer 23:14. – Of the temple furniture still remaining, he mentions in Jer 27:19 as most valuable the two golden pillars, Jachin and Boaz, 1Ki 7:15., the brazen sea, 1Ki 7:23., and , the artistic waggon frames for the basins in which to wash the sacrificial flesh, 1Ki 7:27.; and he declares they too shall be carried to Babylon, as happened at the destruction of Jerusalem, 2Ki 25:13. ( for .)

(Note: The statement in Jer 27:19-22 is wide and diffuse; it is therefore condensed in the lxx, but at the same time mutilated. From the fact Mov., with Hitz. agreeing thereto, concludes that the Hebr. text has been expanded by means of glosses. Graf has already shown in reply to this, that the hand of a later glossator interpolating materials from Jer 52:17; 2Ki 24:13 and 2Ki 24:1 is not betrayed in the extended account of the furniture remaining, and of the occasion on which it was left behind. He goes on to show that it is rather the editorial hand of Baruch than the hand of the glossator that is to be presumed from the fact that, in consequence of the narrative part of Jer 27:20, Jer 27:19 is repeated in Jer 27:21; and from the further fact that it is impossible here to discriminate the interpolated from the original matter. Graf has also so conclusively proved the worthlessness of the distinguishing marks of the glossator adduced by Mov. and Hitz., that we adopt in full his argument. Such marks are (we are told), (1) the scriptio plena of here, as contrasted with Jer 52:17; 2Ki 25:13; 2Ch 4:14, and of , as against 2Ch 24:1; 2Ch 28:4; 2Ch 29:2; and yet the interpolations in Jer 27:19 and Jer 27:20 are said to have been taken directly from Jer 52:17 and Jer 24:1. (2) The expression , which is alleged not to have come into use till the exile. But the fact of its standing here and in Jer 39:6 is enough to show it to have been earlier in use; cf. also 1Ki 21:8, 1Ki 21:11; and since it is not used in Jer 24:1 and Jer 29:2, it is certain that it has not been got from there. (3) The “slip-shod” , Jer 27:21, for , Jer 27:18, which is, however, occasioned simply by the preceding accusative of place, ‘ (Jer 27:18 also ).)

Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament

Vs. 16-22: PRIESTS AND PEOPLE ALSO WARNED

1. Finally, the Lord commands Jeremiah to warn the priests and the people against the lying prophets who declare that the vessels of the temple will shortly be returned from Babylon, (vs. 16-17; comp. 1Ki 7:15-39; 2Ki 24:13).

a. These promises were designed to support the steadilyincreasing class of reactionaries under Zedekiah:

b. Jeremiah warns that priests and people must not be moved, by such false promises, to resist the inevitable triumph of Babylon, (vs. 17a).

c. If they would spare the utter desolation of Jerusalem; yea, if they would LIVE, they MUST serve the king of Babylon, (vs. 17b).

2. Jeremiah then issues a challenge to the professional, lying prophets in Judah: if they want to prove themselves TRUE prophets of Jehovah, let them so intercede with Him that NO MORE of the vessels left in the temple and in the king’s house be taken away to Babylon, (vs. 18; comp. 1Ki 18:24).

3. Through Jeremiah the Lord declares that all the vessels not already taken, along with Jeconiah and the nobles, will surely be transported to Babylon, (vs. 19-22; comp. Jer 52:17; Jer 52:20-21).

a. And they will remain in Babylon until the Lord visits judgment upon the Chaldeans, (vs. 22a; Jer 29:10-14; comp. vs. 7; Jer 25:11 -12).

b. In that day He will Himself arrange the return and restoration of Judah’s sacred vessels, (Ezr 1:7-11; Ezr 5:13-15; Ezr 7:9; Ezr 7:19).

c. Jeremiah is prepared to await God’s own time, and the outworking of God’s own plan, to vindicate the validity of his message and ministry!

Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

Jeremiah, as we have seen, did not deal privately with the king alone, for he did not separate him from the people; but as he had directed his words chiefly to him, he therefore expresses now what might have seemed obscure, that though he had begun with the king, he yet included all the Jews. It was indeed necessary to begin with the king, for we know that earthly kings think much of their own dignity, and that the whole people are dependent on their will. Hence Hosea condemned them, because they rendered a too willing obedience to royal edicts, and worshipped God according to what it pleased the king and his counsellors to dictate. (Hos 5:11 : Mic 6:16.) As then the royal name served to dazzle the eyes of the simple, Jeremiah was bidden to address first the king himself; but he now shews that the priests and the people were included.

It was indeed like something monstrous, that the priests, whom God had designed to be the interpreters of his Law, should have become so stupid as thoughtlessly to receive, together with the common people, what they had heard from the false prophets. This surely was by no means compatible with that high encomium by which they are honored by Malachi, that the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and that from him the Law is to be sought, because he is the messenger of the God of hosts. (Mal 2:7.) As then they were the guardians of the Law and of knowledge, as they were messengers from God himself to the people, how was it that their stupidity was so monstrous, that they did not distinguish between truth and falsehood, but were led astray, together with the most ignorant, by what the false prophets delivered!

This ought to be carefully noticed, that we may not at this day be too much disturbed, when we see the pastoral office assumed by ignorant asses, and that those who are called, and wish to be thought ministers, are so inexperienced in Scripture that they are deficient as to the first elements of religion. And we see the very thing happening at this day especially under the Papacy, as existed among the ancient people; for the Papal bishops are for the most part extremely stupid and presumptuous. There are to be found many husbandmen and artisans, who know nothing of learning, but have only heard what is obscure and indistinct, and yet they can speak better on the general principles of faith than these haughty prelates in all their splendor. How is this? even because the just reward for their sloth is rendered to them. They are verily ignorant of what should qualify them to be bishops, and yet they glory in the name! Yea, though they do not think that Episcopacy consists in anything but in revenues, and also in vain symbols, such as to be mitred, to wear an episcopal ring, and to exhibit other like trumperies, they yet suppose themselves to be a sort of half-gods. Hence it is, that God exposes them to the utmost reproach. The same was the case with the priests under the Law, as Jeremiah now shews; for they were not ashamed of their ignorance, but encouraged the people to believe the false prophets; so at this day do the bishops; they scud forth their monks and such like brawlers, who run here and there to deceive the ignorant people, and they secure a hearing to them. And what is the burden of their message? to bid men to attend to the holy Catholic Church; and what is the Catholic Church? The Synod which the Pope assembles, where the mitred bishops sit; for what purpose? That they may know what pleases these brawlers, to whom is committed the office of disputing. We hence see that all things under the Papacy are at this day in great disorder; and yet this horrible disorder differs nothing from that of old. And it is, as I have said, what ought to be particularly noticed, that our faith may not fail, when we see all things in a confusion and hardly any order remaining.

Now also is added a clearer explanation, — that the Jews were warned, lest they should receive the false prophecy respecting the restoration of the vessels of the Temple; for in order to render the people secure as to the future, the false prophets boasted in this manner, “The splendor of the Temple shall shortly be restored; for the vessels, which Nebuchadnezzar has taken away, shall return together with the captives, and everything decayed shall be repaired.” But Jeremiah said, that what they promised was false; “Believe them not,” he says, “when they say to you, Behold, the vessels of Jehovah’s house shall be brought back, (or restored, that is, shall return hither;) for the king of Babylon shall either be constrained to restore what he has taken away, or he will of his own accord restore it.” And they also added, Now soon, in order that the shortness of time might be all additional chain to captivate the minds of the people; for had a long time been mentioned, the prophecy would have been less plausible and by no means acceptable to them; but they said, “Almost within a day the vessels of the Temple shall be brought back here.” And Jeremiah also, as we have already seen, and shall presently see again, did not deprive the people of every hope, but had assigned seventy years for their exile. Now these prophets, in order to dissipate this fear, said, — “Shortly shall the vessels be restored;” but he declared that they prophesied falsely to them. It follows —

Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary

D. A Warning to the Priests and People Jer. 27:16-22

TRANSLATION

(16) And unto the, priests and all this people I spoke, saying, (17) Thus says the LORD: Do not hearken unto the words of your prophets who keep on prophesying to you, saying, Behold, the vessels of the house of the LORD shall be returned from Babylon in just a short time; for they are prophesying falsehood to you. (18) But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them entreat the LORD of hosts in order that the vessels which remain in the house of the LORD, the house of the king of Judah, and in Jerusalem, do not go to Babylon. (19) For thus says the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and the sea, and the bases, and concerning the rest of the vessels which remain in this city, (20) which Nebuchadnezzar did not take when he took captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, along with all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem. (21) Surely thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels which remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah, and Jerusalem: (22) They shall be brought to Babylon and there they shall be until the day I visit them (oracle of the LORD). Then I will bring them back and restore them to this place.

COMMENTS

One cannot be absolutely positive that this message was delivered on the same day as the preceding two messages. The point of transition from the previous paragraph to the present paragraph is the blast against the false prophets. Not only had these false prophets given disastrous advice to the king and his court, they had raised false hopes among the priests and the people. Jeremiah now moves to shatter those delusions. The message as it has been recorded here contains a warning against the false prophets (Jer. 27:16-17), a challenge to the false prophets (Jer. 27:18), and a contradiction of the fake prophets (Jer. 27:19-22).

1. A warning against the fake prophets (Jer. 27:16-17)

Lies are often more attractive than truth. Certain prophets in Jerusalem were optimistically predicting that the vessels of the house of God which had been carried away by Nebuchadnezzar on his two previous assaults against Jerusalem (in 605 B.C. and 597 B.C.) would shortly be brought back from Babylon (Jer. 27:16). The implication of such a prediction was that Babylon would shortly be destroyed. Since this was the kind of news most men of Judah wished to believe, the false prophets must have had quite a following. such a prophecy regarding the return of the Temple vessels would most likely have gained the support of the influential priests for the proposed revolt against Babylon. Again, for the third time in this chapter alone, Jeremiah calls such prophets liars, He urges the priests and people not to hearken to these lies, to face reality. Rebellion against Babylon will mean the desolation of this city! Do not support the proposed revolt and you will live. In other words Jeremiah is saying, you should not be so concerned about getting those Temple vessels back but about preventing a policy which would destroy the entire city including the Temple.

2. A challenge to the fake prophets (Jer. 27:18)

In Jer. 27:18 Jeremiah challenges the false prophets to prove that they are men called by God. If they are true spokesmen for God as they claim let them be praying as well as preaching. Let them pray that the vessels still remaining in Jerusalem be not carried away to Babylon. True prophets of God were always fervent and effective intercessors on behalf of their people. Jeremiah in this verse seems to be saying that not only are the prophets creating a delusion by insisting that the subservience to Babylon will shortly be ended, they are in reality powerless to prevent further humiliation at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. They can neither create good fortune by their preaching nor prevent disaster by their praying.

3. A contradiction of the fake prophets (Jer. 27:19-22)

Before concluding his message to the priests and people Jeremiah produces a double thus saith the LORD which directly contradicts all that the false prophets had been propagating. Those vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had left behind in the Temple when he took Jeconiah (i.e., Jehoiachin) into captivity in 597 B.C. will shortly be carried away by the Great King. This of course implies that Nebuchadnezzar will successfully besiege and conquer Jerusalem. Among the items which had not yet been taken away are named the pillars, the sea, and the bases. The pillars of brass were twenty-seven feet high and eighteen feet in circumference. One was called Jachin (He shall establish) and the other Boaz (In it is strength). These enormous pillars were no doubt one of the most attractive and distinctive aspects of the Temple of Solomon. Jachin and Boaz were broken up by the Chaldeans and carried to Babylon in 587 B.C. (Jer. 52:17). The large molten sea of Solomons Temple is described in 1Ki. 7:23-26. It was forty-five feet in circumference and rested upon a beautiful base consisting of twelve oxen. The priests had to wash themselves at this enormous bowl before entering the Holy Place. The bases referred to by Jeremiah were ten in number. The author of Kings gives an elaborate description of them (1Ki. 7:27-37). The bases supported portable lavers.

The vessels of the house of God would not remain forever in Babylon. In Gods own good time He would visit (i.e., punish) Babylon and then the vessels would be returned to Jerusalem (Jer. 27:22). Jeremiahs prediction was fulfilled when in 539 B.C. Cyrus conquered Babylon and issued a decree allowing the Jews to take their sacred vessels and return to their homeland (Ezra 1). Therefore Jeremiah agreed with the false prophets that the Temple vessels would return; it was in the matter of the time element that he disagreed with them.

Fuente: College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

(16) Behold the vessels of the Lords house . . .The importance attached to this specific prediction, on which apparently the false prophets staked their credit, can easily be understood. The vessels referred to are those which had been carried off by Nebuchadnezzar in his first invasion, and before the accession of Zedekiah (2Ki. 24:13; 2Ch. 36:7). The people mourned over the absence of what they had so prized among the treasures of the Temple, and the prophets accordingly soothed them with predictions that they would before long be brought back. In marked contrast to these prophecies of their restoration shortly, we find them brought out for use at Belshazzars feast, towards the close of the Babylonian exile (Dan. 1:2; Dan. 5:2), and restored to the Jews by Cyrus, after the capture of Babylon (Ezr. 1:7). In the apocryphal book of Baruch (1:8) we find a tradition that some of them (silver, not gold) were restored in the reign of Zedekiah, but this can hardly be regarded as historical. It is noticeable that the restoration is connected, in that narrative, with the agency of Baruch himself, and it is scarcely probable that he would have brought about a fulfilment of the prediction of the false prophets, who were his Masters enemies.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

16. Vessels of the Lord’s house Made by Solomon (1Ki 7:48-50) and carried to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. 2Ki 24:13. They were valuable, not only because of their intrinsic worth, being made of gold, but especially because of their representative character, being devoted to religions uses, so that for them to fall into the possession of a heathen power, and be carried away to a heathen land, was as when the ark of God was captured by the Philistines.

Now shortly Speedily.

From Babylon Literally, from Babylon-ward.

Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments